| Because today, the last day in the last regular legislative session that Bruno's Republicans will control for a long, long time, brings us another odd clue that it may be Uncle Joe's last hurrah as well. A few weeks ago we learned that the long neglected Senate Minority conference room received a rather extensive renovation, a move that some interpreted as a sign that the Republican majority in the Senate could see the writing on the wall and wanted to spruce up the joint while they still controlled the spending to do so. I'm also hearing quite a bit about some rather vicious infighting in Uncle Joe's caucus and much of it appears to be generational in nature. The Republican majority in the New York State Senate is on the way out and they all know it. This seems to have some members, particularly the younger ones, fairly upset. Today we learn that one of Joe Bruno's closest aides is being set up with a long term gig at a significant pay cut.
Bruno loyalist getting multiyear appointment
Edward P. Stahr, one of Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno's trusted aides, is set up to be confirmed for a post with the New York State Employment Relations Board. The notable thing is he's taking a pay cut for a longer-term deal.
Already some Republican insiders wonder if Bruno won't run again. Now, by moving his director of constituent relations to a fixed-term job, people are scratching their heads.
Stahr has been receiving about $115,000 a year as a Senate staffer. The new post on SERB would pay $90,800 and run through 2010.
An experienced Dem hand in Albany spoke to me about the possibility of Bruno "taking a dive", as he put it, last week. I'll believe that when Bruno actually holds a press conference where he throws in the towel, not before, but the signs that he may be at least considering spending more time with his horses continue to mount.
Though he appears to be an excellent health, Bruno is not a young man. He lost his wife of 57 years earlier this year and that pesky federal investigation doesn't seem to be letting up much. But, the single biggest factor in a possible Bruno exit has got to be that it's increasingly obvious that the GOP's long, long run at the wheel of the Senate is most certainly coming to an end. Bruno (and his entire caucus) has never spent a day in the minority and I very much doubt that either he or many of his crew wish to do so. If they do indeed lose their majority in November, with or without Bruno, look for a rash of retirements in the GOP ranks (and another rash of special elections.)
This doesn't mean for a second that the Senate GOP is about to lay down, whether Bruno retires or not. They won't. This is an existential fight for them, their Alamo, and they know it. In fact, it doesn't really appear that they have any agenda at all outside of mere survival this fall. They don't seem to have a plan for anything past November 4, 2008. What they do after losing the majority or after miraculously hanging on by the skin of their teeth will have to be made up on the fly on November 5th.
It's entirely possible, if not likely, that Uncle Joe will lead his troops into battle one last time but, given the signs that continue to pop up in and around Bruno, it maybe shouldn't be a huge surprise if at sometime in the next few weeks he decides he's ridden his last rodeo. |
